William Steele, 40, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Jean Hamilton in St. Louis, U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway said in a news release. Steele faces as many as 10 years in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled Feb. 27.

Steele, formerly of Montgomery City, was arrested in September after a seven-month investigation by the Internet crimes task force. He pleaded guilty Wednesday.

In January, the St. Louis County Sheriff's Department contacted the task force about a Montgomery City man who was distributing child pornography through an online file-sharing program.

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